Smaller is Better

As tablets get smaller and phones get larger,
they meet in the middle in a hybrid format that offers the best of both worlds.
Called a Phablet, this mobile genre has a screen that’s between 4- and
7-inches, Google’s Android software and can squeeze a lot of power
into something that can cost less than the typical slate.

Size really does matter and these mini
tablets can be slid into and out of a jacket pocket, but don’t fit into a pants
pocket. They weigh quite a bit less than the typical tablet and are perfect for
smaller hands. The key to the popularity of Phablets is that they make a mid-sized
tablet like an iPad Mini seem large and bulky, yet provide enough room to work
on an essay, go through a math game or research the fall of the Ottoman empire.

For those schools with spotty WiFi coverage
or no internal phone network, there’s a big bonus. Many members of the Phablet
generation have built-in mobile data connections so that they can grab a Web
page, send an email and make or take calls just about anywhere. The bad news is
that these models cost extra and have a monthly data service bill.

All told, these Phablets fit right into
school. In the not-too distant future you might hear kids bragging, “mine’s
smaller.”

As its name implies, the Fonepad is a hybrid
of smartphone and tablet. Its 7.0-inch screen can show 1,280 by 800 resolution,
can interpret up to 10 individual finger movements and work with complex
gestures.

Based on Android 4.2 software, the system is
powered by Intel’s Atom Z560 processor that has two cores and runs at 1.6GHz.
It comes with 1GB of RAM and your choice of 16-, 32- or 64GB of solid state
storage. Unlike an iPad, it has a microSD card slot so that its storage
potential can be upped to a total of nearly 100GB.

Like the others, the Fonepad is a mobile
device at heart and there are versions for the different mobile data networks
in the U.S.; it also works as a phone. At school it’ll likely be used on a WiFi
network and it can connect to any 802.11a, b, g or n network. The Fonepad comes
with Bluetooth as well as a microUSB connector for moving data as well as
recharging its 15 watt-hour battery. It also has an audio jack.

The Fonepad is very photogenic with a 1.2 megapixel
front camera that can record 720p video and a 5 megapixel rear camera that can
record full 1080p HD video. Despite all these technological goodies, the
Fonepad weighs just 12-ounces, is less than 8-inches long and can be had for
about $300.

The newest of the new, HP’s Slate 7 does
without a mobile data connection but makes up for it with a sleek design and
the best price tag of the bunch. Its specs may be a step down from the others,
but the Slate 7 makes a virtue of doing a lot with a little.

It combines a 7-inch touch-screen that can
work with 10 fingers and shows 1,024 by 600 resolution. The display uses HFFS
technology for as wide a viewing angle as is possible today so several kids can
crowd around a single unit. There’s a pair of cameras, but they can capture
only 3-megapixel images or videos out of the back or VGA-level output upfront.

Inside, the Slate 7 has a dual core 1.6GHz
ARM 9 processor and 1GB of RAM. Unlike many of its competitors, the Slate 7
comes with only 8GB of storage space rather than as much as 64GB. It does have a
microSD slot that can take a memory card to add 32GB of flash memory for
stashing all sorts of files. On top of 802.11b, g, and n WiFi networking and
Bluetooth, the system has a microUSB connector for charging the battery or
moving data into or out of the system.

It all fits into a case that’s only
7.75-inches long and weighs in at 13-ounces. The HP Phablet has a rubbery
coating on the back, stainless steel edging and can be ordered with a red or
silver case. Price is the best part because the Slate 7 can be had for
something like $140, about half what some of the others go for.

While it looks like a large phone, Samsung’s
Galaxy Mega has the power to change the way you feel about tablets. At just
6.5-inches long and weighing a little over 7-ounces it is only marginally
larger and heavier than a smartphone, yet it has a super-bright 6.3-inch touch-screen
that can show 1,280 by 700 resolution and work with 10 independent finger inputs.

In addition to being able to connect to a
802.11a, b, g, n wireless LAN, it conforms to the latest 802.11ac standard for secure
high-speed data links. It can also be set up to work with one of the mobile
data networks and work as a phone.

Like the others Mega has a pair of cameras
that excel at creating high-resolution images and video. There’s a
1.9-megapixel camera up front and an 8 megapixel one in the back. Each has an
LED flash.

The Mega Phablet is powered by a Samsung-made
dual-core processor that runs at 1.7GHz and comes with 1GB of RAM but tops out
at 16GB of storage space. The system comes with Bluetooth as well as a microSD
slot that not only can increase its storage potential to nearly 50GB, but works
with the MHL standard for sending what’s on its screen to a projector or
monitor. There’s also an audio jack.

As is the case with Sony’s Xperia Z Ultra,
the Mega has a near field communications (NFC) chip built in. This short-range
wireless technology allows users to swap contact info by bumping the backs of
their tablets or printing by tapping an NFC printer (link to C460W).

Despite its small size, the Galaxy Mega is a
mega-purchase as about $650.

At about 7 ounces and about 7-inches long,
Sony’s Xperia Z Ultra squeezes the most tablet into the smallest package. Its
6.4-inch display is not only sensitive to touch and can interpret the movement
of up to 10 individual fingers but has a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 for vivid
and rich HD images and video.

It’s dustproof, water resistant and the
screen is resistant to scratching, things that really pay off when you’re
dealing with kids. Inside, the Ultra has a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
that runs at 2.2GHz, making it the fastest and most capable of the emerging
Phablet category. This is augmented with an Adreno 330 graphics accelerator
that makes its screen light up with smooth video.

Like the Mega, the Ultra tablet has NFC
technology integrated into it. This allows the Phablet to directly print with
Samsung’s NFC-equipped printer by just tapping it or exchange data between
slates by bumping them together.

The Ultra has a pair of cameras, front and
back. The 8-megapixel front cam is paired with a 2-megapixel one in the back. It
has been generously outfitted with 2GB of RAM and up to 16GB of storage space.
This can be augmented by using a 32GB microSD card.

In addition to the device’s expected WiFi and
Bluetooth abilities, the Ultra can be ordered with a 4G data modem for
access-anywhere data. On the downside,
it costs roughly $600, about the price of two iPad Minis.

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